


Blue

by OnlySlightlyObsessed1



Series: 12 Days of Spones [3]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: 12 Days of Spones, 1k to 5k, Alternate Universe, Heat Stroke, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, Prompt: Blue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:28:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28165521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnlySlightlyObsessed1/pseuds/OnlySlightlyObsessed1
Summary: Vulcans aren't immune to heat stroke.
Relationships: Leonard "Bones" McCoy/Spock
Series: 12 Days of Spones [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2061498
Comments: 8
Kudos: 52





	Blue

**Author's Note:**

> Another exercise in just writing things and posting them. I did age this one a few days at least XD  
> [12 Days of Spones](https://fuckyeahspones.tumblr.com/tagged/12DaysOfSpones) is on tumblr at fuckyeahspones

Spock had always been uncomfortable with the abundance of blue on Earth. It was all over the sky and bodies of water, alarming, out of place. The endless plains of his father’s planet did not please him either, but at least they were a reasonable, natural, color. Blue was best taken in small does, as with anything sacred. 

It was fitting that his first glimpse of Leonard McCoy was upside down. He saw first the blue of his shirt, second, the unnatural, disturbing, blue of the sky, and third, the tiny blue rings of the man’s irises. 

“Can you hear me?” 

“Yes.” 

Spock’s head pounded. There was too much blue and he already felt rather ill. Half the point of coming here to Death Valley was for the sake of the high red-orange rocks all around that reminded him of home. He closed his eyes. 

“Keep your eyes open,” the man said, “try not to pass out again, we’re going to get you somewhere cool.”

“I am Vulcan,” Spock told him, and kept his eyes closed. 

“I suppose that means you think you’re immune to heat stroke does it?”

“Yes.” That was about right.

The man snorted. Spck could feel that he was being moved. “Of course. We get our fair share of Vulcans making the same mistake. You, my friend, made two mistakes. Not a good idea to hike alone in any weather.”

“I have a communicator,” Spock objected.

“Fat lot of good it did you once you passed out.”

“I passed out?” There was something heavy draped over him, something cool, and the bright sunlight glowing through his eyelids was gone. Spock opened his eyes a fraction, saw movement, more blue, and decided his earlier decision was a better one. 

“Yes you did.”

“Hmm.”

“There was a family a few meters behind you on the trail, lucky for you. They called us in.”

“Who are you?” It finally occurred to Spock to ask. “Where am I going?”

“My name is Leonard, I’m a paramedic. You’re going to the hospital. Fortunately for me, unfortunately for you, the transporter’s in use so we’re taking the shuttle.”

Spock considered this information for a moment. He stopped moving, and someone began tucking cold things around his body underneath the cold blanket. He decided to try opening his eyes again. 

More blue. Leonard, presumably, was reaching forward to tuck a cold packet against his neck, and wiped something else cold on his forehead. For several seconds, he was close enough to Spock’s face that he could see his eyes again. He sat back again and looked away. 

“Do you always wear so much blue?”

“It’s the uniform,” Leonard said flatly. He finished whatever he’d been fiddling with and looked back at Spock. “Well we’ve got your eyes open at least. Tell me how you’re feeling.”

He had a rounded face, short brown hair that looked soft. Spock wanted to touch it. “Poorly.”

“Would you elaborate on that a little bit for me?” 

The shuttle shuddered under them. They must have been taking off.

“My head aches, and my stomach is upset, but pain is of the mind,” Spock told him, watching one eyebrow rise. His eyes followed the lines of Leonard’s face, around his mouth, across his forehead, and around his eyes. 

“I see. Maybe you’re willing to drink some water. Slowly now.” The tone used indicated it was clearly not a question. Leonard leaned towards him again and held a straw to his lips. Spock took small obedient sips. The new position brought Leonard’s eyes closer to him again. He stared at them, enthralled by the gradient, dark blue, light blue, gray--the water was pulled away and withit went Leonard’s blue eyes.

“Will I live, Doctor?” Spock asked. 

“I’m not a paramedic not a doctor, and your life hasn’t been in danger since those nice hikers called emergency services.”

Spock was glad there wasn’t anyone else around to witness his lack of verbal filter. Perhaps it was wiser if he did not speak. He wanted to run his thumb gently over the lightly creased skin under Leonard’s eyes. Spock watched, delighted, as the creases next to McCoy’s eyes and around his mouth and nose deepened into a smile.

“Something interesting?”

“Blue,” Spock began before he could stop himself. 

Leonard didn’t seem to understand, of course he would not, but didn’t seem bothered either. Unfortunately, with Spock’s answer his eyes slid off of Spock’s face and on to the medical equipment surrounding them. Spock stared at the delicate curve of his cheek and his nose and reminded his foggy and uncooperative brain he was not allowed to touch. 

The smile was gone from Leonard’s face. 

“Your heart rate is increasing for some reason, can you bring that down?”

Spock felt it rise slightly again in embarrassment. Reluctantly this time, he closed his eyes.

He opened them again when he felt the shuttle tilt down, signalling their descent. Leonard was still sitting next to him, now focused on a PADD, noting things down. Spock stared at his hands and was quite disappointed that he had met this beautiful man in such unfavorable circumstances. 

Leonard’s eyes flickered above Spock’s head again. Spock imagined the machine had registered a change in his heart rate or breathing. It would be so foolish to miss his opportunity entirely but, “I don’t mean to harass you during your work--”

Genuine surprise flashed across Leonard’s face. Spock’s words died in his throat. From the front of the shuttle, someone was giggling very softly. 

“Is that the end of your sentence?”

“I suppose so,” Spock said.

Leonard took a breath, glanced toward the front of the shuttle, and then leaned closer to Spock. “Probably for the best, ethically, I’d be required to turn you down. On an unrelated note, if you’re going to be in town for a while and you’re looking for things to do with less chance of heat stroke, there’s a very nice park I happen to know of, perhaps I can give you directions.”

“That would be very kind of you. I appreciate the recommendation.”

Leonard was smiling again as he pressed a hypo against Spock’s neck. “I’ll give you the address.”

The shuttle settled with a minimum of rocking. Spock thought about complimenting the pilot’s landing, but the back was opening and two hospital nurses were there to try and get him into a wheelchair and in the commotion he did not. Before he was taken away through the hospital door Leonard stepped up to him and handed him a slip of paper. 

“In case you want somewhere else to go hiking. Somewhere with shade, and water fountains.”

“Thank you,” Spock said, both for the paper address and for the medical treatment. Leonard stepped back, eyes bright blue, playful, blue medical jumpsuit drowning them out.

“Our pleasure. Stay safe.”


End file.
